good morning! how are you doing? the days have been flying by around here. in fact i can’t believe the last time i was able to sit and write was over a week ago. what have you been up to? chez moi has been filled with work. it’s good work, tightening up the website, cleaning up finances, creating standards and practices…basic entrepreneurship! it’s all of it in an effort to be more efficient and get that free time i desperately crave for this year. one of the areas we’re working on is the blog sidebar with ads and sponsors. with that, i wanted to welcome the latest member of the family. she’s a wonderful woman i met in paris (her husband surprised her with one of my shopping trips for a milestone birthday)! we stayed in touch and i’ve watched her store in nj blossom into a an amazing collection of curated items from local artisans as well as carrying some of the french items we saw at the maison et object. please help me welcome the one and only cindy potters of Shed, the Ecectic Home!

she’s a force of nature and i’ve been watching her master the blog, social media, her website, online store and eye for interesting stories of inspiration.

these are some of her instagram shots

and this gorgeous enamel lamp is from the show france and comes in so many delicious colors. at the maison objet i couldn’t decide which was the prettiest! take a look at her site and see what you think. in the meantime, cindy is giving away the sweet handmade lavender sachet set below. if you’d like to win, just, go to shedtheeclectichome.com. and subscribe to the blog. check out the website and let Cindy know what you like with a comment here. in the meantime she’s offering a 10% discount off of everything in the webstore through march 8th. cindy, best wishes and good luck with the store. as any entrepreneur will attest: “The best way to predict your future is to create it” ― Peter F. Drucker

allo dear friends, how are you? i hope you’re into the fall weather and are getting your autumn on! we’re still running around and no matter where we turn paris is still ful of surprises. the day started with a rainy marche but it warmed up when we got to le square trousseau to meet friends/fellow bloggers, vicki, author of french essence and haleigh, blogger extraordinaire from making magique. both of these girls know how to live and they record it all with the most gorgeous photography! if you’re ever in need of eye candy or to drift off into neverland, just click your heels on over to their blogs. we shared ideas, tips and just had a great leisurely long lunch which i doubt any of us get to do very often! below is a glimpse into haleigh’s world in paris:

and vicki’s in provence

of course we couldn’t leave without lusting after the desserts…

we thought the day couldn’t get any better when on the way home claudia and i took a shortcut. we came across one of the last men working in his studio on the dying art of handmade engravings. when our friend ellen was here she was telling me all about the copperplates, hammering them backward with tiny pins to create the detail we see in so many familiar works of art.

olaf was diligently working but stopped to chat. he happened to have one of my favorite plates, le souper fin (below) which he purchased from a workshop that had recently closed. if you look you’ll see it was all done in reverse. the detail is incomprehensible and so is the idea that this is how so many important events were recorded! it takes black tar, ink, acid and god knows what else to produce a perfect engraving and it’s all done on handmade paper.

souper fin, Jean-Michel Moreau. he did admit he’s one of that last to do this painstaking craft…

not sure what this one was about but his work was stunning. i couldn’t resist getting a couple to bring back!

the day is now coming to a close and we’re nestled snug in our pied a terre, happily fed and another unforgettable day under our belts, but also aware it’s quickly coming to an end. when i get home lots of goodies will be waiting there. in the meantime, it was nice to know we got a little press in the states today! miles redd recommended one of tpa’s mirrored pieces in an article for the home section!

thanks, miles!

someone here asked me if mirrored furniture was ‘over ‘and i had to think for a minute. it will never be over, it’s a style that’s been around way too long to become passé now!i found this shot from the market last week and it re-confirmed my opinion that mirror is and always will be tres chic. it’s been worked on furniture since the 2os with details we can’t even produce now. how they manipulated mirror is yet another mystery the french started!

ok well this was a bunch of non sequiturs but isn’t that what a journal/diary/blog is for, to remember the details of life big and small? well, it’s time for bed, officially midnight yet again. have a great night!

bonjour tout le monde! i hope day is winding down to a warm dusk evening for you. i’ve been trying to manage my time better and got this message in an email this morning. it’s from a great site that my client in nice told me about. so subscribed to their daily thought and this was today’s. just wanted to share it in case you struggle with this too!

Your time is a perceptual thing, and even though the clock is ticking the same for everyone, your alignment affects your perception, as well as the results that you allow.

As you observe the enormous differences in the effort that people apply and the results they achieve, you have to conclude that there is more to the equation of achieving than action alone.

hhmpf. so when i got a comment last night from the lovely m-t, i had to put the excel stuff down tonight and make way for that creative time (ie blog time)! m-t bestowed me with a blogging honor, the sunshine award! there is a catch, with rules to follow and answering a few questions you may or may not care to know about me. so thank you and before the whole thing in ends up in my jungle of an inbox, i’m taking the present moment to sit back and blog blissfully. so here goes:

Each recipient must do three things:

First, thank the person who sent it to you.

thank you so much M-T! it’s been a long time since i’ve stopped by and there was so much delicious information in your posts, on your sidebar, your tips, pics and inspiration that i will get back to when this finished. you gave me more homework but it’s for a good cause, spreading great blog buds and visiting old friends. for those of you who don’t know m-t, she’s a brilliant consultant who helps define and refine one’s style. check out her fabulous blog, the french touch.

Second, you must recognize 10 other Bloggers for the Award and link back to their sites.

i love you all so instead of choosing faves i’m linking to those who most recently left a comment. it’s a good chance for me say hi so it’s already a win!